FOOTBALL Middle Tennessee at James Madison (ESPN+) 5 pm, Saturday, September 3, 2022
- Thread starter SpaceRaider
- Start date
It was coaching and just terrible play.
I stomached film of the first half again.
We tried 4, 5 step drop passes. We had one drop, one receiver slip & 2 sacks.
Our OL obviously sucks. The play at LT was as bad as I have seen. It’s the most important position and it just can’t be that bad. Maybe it was the club hand. We also had 2 whiffs on key plays, RT missed a cut on 3rd & long plus LG just missed the block on the 4th down play. Also, no communication on blitz pickup. We routinely let someone free when we had an extra blocker. That’s communication & confusion or coaching
Chase also looked to miss reads on the zone option plays. We ran it 3x and the keep/give were backwards. Maybe the we’re actually inside zone instead of zone read, but if we cant run it better, just stop. Tempo after first downs, but we need more time to make presnap reads. Chase through quick when we didn’t have numbers a few times. Take 5 seconds presnap & you don’t make those throws.
Our offense was quick 3-step passes going to the first read. Everyone knows we can’t consistently block 5 step and our run game is non-existent. So just press cover and dare us to try blocking to go deep.
We are not running an air raid. We use some air raid concepts but that is NOT an air raid offense.
I think we need to add an H back and drag behind the DE on the zone read or run a slot slant for easy RPOs. Actually I would consider dropping zone read and go to more of a zone stretch run concept. Maybe move Chase into the pistol to better setup the run. What we are doing won’t work with the lack of quality play. And if those were chase reads….just a disaster.
It’s ALL coaching. First off, the coaches aren’t recruiting FBS level players and secondly, they’re letting FCS level coaches out scheme them. And the school tolerates it. Screw it. Just shut it down.
I don’t know why but I watched the first quarter and saw enough to know we were going to get boat raced by a team that should have less to work with at this point. A coach that’s been here 16 years should have actually built something by now. We are honestly no better as a program 23 years into this than we were when we started. It amazes me how this is embraced at little middle which is why I quit on this university several years ago and won’t be back or submit another penny til someone has the balls to make what are really easy decisions at this point. These aren’t even difficult decisions at this juncture.
But here’s a truly telling point that occurrred in the first qtr. The announcers talked about in their conversation with Stockstill how he mentioned that “we didn’t really want to play James Madison” insinuating that they were too good to play. I get they were homer announcers but there is no reason to not to believe them. I mean is that not the most telling thing? The epitome of this slow train wreck? Our head coach even before the game is played doesn’t want to play a I-AA transition program whose had football for half as much time in the existence of both schools and is playing only its first game at this level. Yet your head coach is dreading it. Scared of the game. If your head coach isn’t freakin on fire to get out there for the first game regardless of the opponent (but certainly one who isn’t yet supposed to be on the same level as you) then you have an irreconcilable problem. But WE already knew that.
So its clear our head coach knew that either a) he and his staff hadn’t put the work in on the recruiting trail or in preparation to be competitive against a move up or 2) that JMU was already the better more talented team or 3) and more likely both of those things.
For these reasons, I’m calling on Rick Stockstill to resign. Coach Stockstill, it’s time you do the right thing and step down. You have made it clear in more ways than I can list here that you are never going to put this program in a position to be more than a .500 outfit and this team won’t even achieve that this year. If he won’t step down then I call on Chris Masarro and Sydney McPhee to use the extra money we have coming in to fire Stockstill and demonstrate to what’s left of this fan base that the program matters. Facilities are not going to fix this problem. Pouring money into facilities will only further illuminate Stockstill’s failure to achieve a conference title much less build and mold this into a championship caliber program. Facilities can be addressed later when there is life breathed back into a program that has been dying a slow death.
It’s time for change. Now. There’s no reason to wait for next week or 0-6 or even if he stumbles to 2-4.
Sincerely,
C. Wood, “01
But here’s a truly telling point that occurrred in the first qtr. The announcers talked about in their conversation with Stockstill how he mentioned that “we didn’t really want to play James Madison” insinuating that they were too good to play. I get they were homer announcers but there is no reason to not to believe them. I mean is that not the most telling thing? The epitome of this slow train wreck? Our head coach even before the game is played doesn’t want to play a I-AA transition program whose had football for half as much time in the existence of both schools and is playing only its first game at this level. Yet your head coach is dreading it. Scared of the game. If your head coach isn’t freakin on fire to get out there for the first game regardless of the opponent (but certainly one who isn’t yet supposed to be on the same level as you) then you have an irreconcilable problem. But WE already knew that.
So its clear our head coach knew that either a) he and his staff hadn’t put the work in on the recruiting trail or in preparation to be competitive against a move up or 2) that JMU was already the better more talented team or 3) and more likely both of those things.
For these reasons, I’m calling on Rick Stockstill to resign. Coach Stockstill, it’s time you do the right thing and step down. You have made it clear in more ways than I can list here that you are never going to put this program in a position to be more than a .500 outfit and this team won’t even achieve that this year. If he won’t step down then I call on Chris Masarro and Sydney McPhee to use the extra money we have coming in to fire Stockstill and demonstrate to what’s left of this fan base that the program matters. Facilities are not going to fix this problem. Pouring money into facilities will only further illuminate Stockstill’s failure to achieve a conference title much less build and mold this into a championship caliber program. Facilities can be addressed later when there is life breathed back into a program that has been dying a slow death.
It’s time for change. Now. There’s no reason to wait for next week or 0-6 or even if he stumbles to 2-4.
Sincerely,
C. Wood, “01
The few fans who are left wholeheartedly agree with you. I did not buy season tickets again this year, but did plan to go and buy a ticket at the gate for the games I was able to make. Seriously questioning that plan after watching the first half of the MT/JMU game. It was brutal.
I don’t disagree with what you’re saying but I did want to clarify that the “not wanting to play” comment was likely because we were supposed to host Missouri. I don’t think any one at MT thinks we’re too good to play JMU. Honestly they are a much better program.
There was a video clip tweeted out before the game of CRS and the players getting off the bus to the plane or from the plane and I noticed the first clip of CRS moving slow and the body language wasn't that great. I thought is he sick or his age catching up with his body ( he's in his mid 60s after all) so maybe it was the fact he didn't want to go up there or he knew he and his team were going to collectively get their @sses handed to them.
Anyone ready for a billboard?
You missed the point. He was dreading playing them not saying we were too good. That’s just plain sad. And shouldn’t be the state of our program at this point.
I don't get the whole "we didn't want to play James Madison" line of thinking.
Fellas, they just got called up to the Sunbelt, passing over us. They're a bigger program than we are.
Fellas, they just got called up to the Sunbelt, passing over us. They're a bigger program than we are.
MTSU was called up to the SunBelt decades ago and "moved up" to a "bigger" conference again. In those years especially since the move to C-USA, it seems the leadership took their foot off the pedal. The flagship program of football has severely regressed.
Still lingering in my ears from the time of MT's move to CUSA was a message in the media from M&M at that time that I recall as along the lines of we have finally reached our main goal of membership in C-USA. It concerned me then, and time seems to suggest that the leadership has been on cruise control since the goals were reached.
Someone with a better memory than me, wasn't McPhee at Louisville back when they rose in C-USA? I just wonder if he thought MTSU could and would have the same rise and success once in C-USA? One of the reasons I was bullish on McPhee in his early years is that he used to openly state that he wanted MTSU athletics to follow the same path of success as Louisville. I seem to recall him telling me personally that he wanted to be able to expand the stadium to 50,000 range due to attendance/crowd demand. My paraphrase of course since that was probably a good 15+ years ago.
In short, I still believe the university community in general and the region of Middle Tennessee has the potential and will support a growing and successful MT athletics program. That support and success must have good to outstanding leadership with the vision, hunger, and motivation to fully realize that support and success. I still just don't know what the h*ll has happened to that leadership in the last 10 years or so?!
Still lingering in my ears from the time of MT's move to CUSA was a message in the media from M&M at that time that I recall as along the lines of we have finally reached our main goal of membership in C-USA. It concerned me then, and time seems to suggest that the leadership has been on cruise control since the goals were reached.
Someone with a better memory than me, wasn't McPhee at Louisville back when they rose in C-USA? I just wonder if he thought MTSU could and would have the same rise and success once in C-USA? One of the reasons I was bullish on McPhee in his early years is that he used to openly state that he wanted MTSU athletics to follow the same path of success as Louisville. I seem to recall him telling me personally that he wanted to be able to expand the stadium to 50,000 range due to attendance/crowd demand. My paraphrase of course since that was probably a good 15+ years ago.
In short, I still believe the university community in general and the region of Middle Tennessee has the potential and will support a growing and successful MT athletics program. That support and success must have good to outstanding leadership with the vision, hunger, and motivation to fully realize that support and success. I still just don't know what the h*ll has happened to that leadership in the last 10 years or so?!
Middle would sellout hosting TN, same for WKU if the hosted Louisville or U. JMU is the only one that didn't have a big name that drew near capacity. Word play, what did Ark St, Ga Southern and whomever else played at home draw? USA drew 15k, USM 24k, ULL 16.8k, Ark St 17.8k opening weekend attendance is normal around the rest of the belt, not the teams hosting big name instate schools and the military academy.
All true. My point was we aren't anywhere near that. Can't even draw 15k on our own. And yeah, we'd sell out for UT, but sadly it would be more of them than us. Which absolutely is a crime.
I think we are all gonna be sick when we see (or hear about it in my case) the stadium. Might be the worst attended home opener since going 1-a.
Which is going to keep a downward spiral going. Recruits don’t want to see that.
Where’s everybody at? 😆
it’s going to take hard money losing seasons for the right people to get canned.
Which is going to keep a downward spiral going. Recruits don’t want to see that.
Where’s everybody at? 😆
it’s going to take hard money losing seasons for the right people to get canned.
These days I can only guess about the inner workings over there on campus, but it seems some well heeled donors keep enabling this mess. I can only speculate and theorize that Stock has convinced M&M et al or all three are convinced and selling donors that MTSU football sucks and will continue to suck until new facilities are in place. Either way, it's strange all the programs including both bball teams typically are highly competitive despite the horrendous facilities.
What’s worse than horrible home opener attendance will be average sized crowd mostly made up of TSU fans. The team colors will camouflage the contrast of fans, but generally I'm afraid it will be be something akin to when Vandy hosts UT. You know, mostly full stadium decked out in orange on the Vandy campus.
What’s worse than horrible home opener attendance will be average sized crowd mostly made up of TSU fans. The team colors will camouflage the contrast of fans, but generally I'm afraid it will be be something akin to when Vandy hosts UT. You know, mostly full stadium decked out in orange on the Vandy campus.
Wow! You know times are tough when WKU fans are coming to OUR board and actually helping us out! #100Miles
6 Observations from JMU’s 44-7 Win Over Middle Tennessee
Let’s start the season off right. Here were my six major observations after JMU’s win over Middle Tennessee.
herosports.com
Not a good look for the home team.6 Observations from JMU’s 44-7 Win Over Middle Tennessee
Let’s start the season off right. Here were my six major observations after JMU’s win over Middle Tennessee.
Wow.
"Well, so much for an increased level of competition."
A 17th year coach is now giving a first year FBS team the "win you kind of expect from the Dukes during a typical FCS opener...."
Wow. 🤦♂️
